Special Report:
Philanthropy 400: A New No. 1, and a Record Year in Giving

SPECIAL REPORT

October 27, 2016

Philanthropy 400: A New No. 1, and a Record Year in Giving

For 26 years, The Chronicle has ranked America’s nonprofits based on the contributions they raise from individuals, foundations, and corporations. This year, for only the second time, United Way Worldwide has been pushed from the top rung — a changing of the guard that may signal a new era in philanthropy.

Total giving to the Philanthropy 400 reached $104 billion in 2015 — a record high. This year’s coverage also includes looks at how large groups are outperforming small ones and what drove big gains at some of the year’s notable organizations.

For the first time, the sponsor of a donor-advised fund tops the Chronicle’s annual ranking of the 400 U.S. charities that raise the most in private support. Another first: Giving to groups on the list tops $100 billion.

As the group looks to raise nearly $1.3 billion by its 2020 centennial, heightened interest in immigration and incarceration policies is prompting seven-figure gifts that once would have been unthinkable.